Mercy Medical Center dietitian Alison Massey said freekeh fills you up better than other grains, including rice.

"It's the protein and the fiber combination that make it really nice in terms of providing that satiety and feeling of fullness versus some other things, like rice, which are lower on the fiber and the protein factor. So, you can eat a lot more of it and not feel as full," she said.

"Freekeh is a very interesting grain. It's a very old grain. It's mentioned in the Bible, but it appears to have clear health benefits," said Mercy's Dr. Marc I. Leavey. "Freekeh is high in fiber and has a favorable profile, as far as glycemic index, so even for diabetics, it may be very useful."

Leavey said freekeh is well tolerated by most people, with the exception of those who have gluten problems.

"My only concern would be because it is a version of wheat. People with a gluten enteropathy -- that needs to be looked at. But otherwise, it appears to be a very good product," he said.

Bonnie Matthews is roughly half the size she was four years ago. She lost 130 pounds in two years and appeared on the Dr. Oz Show. She said eating freekeh is what helped her lose weight.

"I started cooking with freekeh as part of one-pot meals. I wanted to have a lot of healthy foods in my fridge as go-to foods, and so freekeh would be great, instead of rice, with chicken and vegetables," she told 11 News.

Matthews said she'll continue to eat the grain to maintain her healthy weight.

"That's the thing about any kind of weight loss program. You're never done. It's just a shift from how you used to live to how you have to live to be able to sustain your health," she said.

Matthews said she is so excited about freekeh that she's just launched a new company to market the product.